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There comes a time when decisions need to be made. Is it better to enroll in KDP Select and offer freebies, or not?

So far, I've got Forever Young: Blessing or Curse still enrolled, as well as Girl of My Dreams.

I took my most recent romantic comedy, Her Handyman, off the program, but may put it back on later. I have mixed feelings about offering freebies. After a free event, I do get more sales, but then I wonder if some readers notice it's available free for Prime members, which means it will probably be free for everyone else for five days, somewhere along the line. That seems a double-edged sword.

Anyway, I'll see how the system goes, and learn if any other alternatives present themselves.

In the meantime, I'm not completely neglecting other sources, since two of my books, Killer Career, and Two Wrongs, are still available on all the Smashwords sites, as well as on Amazon.

Reeling from his wife’s unsolved murder, Malcolm Cutter is just going through the motions as a chauffeur and bodyguard for Hollywood’s rich and famous. Then a pair of Guatemalan tough guys offer him a job. It’s an open question whether they’re patriotic revolutionaries or vicious terrorists. Either way, Cutter doesn’t much care until he gets a bomb through his window, a gangland beating on the streets of L.A., and three bullets in the chest. Now there’s another murder on Cutter’s Mind. His own.

Athol Dickson’s mystery, suspense, and literary novels have won three Christy Awards and an Audie Award. Suspense fans who enjoyed Athol’s They Shall See God will love his latest novel, January Justice, the first installment in a new mystery series called The Malcolm Cutter Memoirs. The second and third novels in the series, Free Fall in February, and A March Murder, are coming in 2013.

Critics have favorably compared Athol’s work to such diverse authors as Octavia Butler (Publisher’s Weekly), Hermann Hesse (The New York Journal of Books) and Flannery O’Connor (The New York Times). Athol lives with his wife in southern California.

Pump Up Your Book and Athol Dickson are teaming up to give you a chance to win a fabulous prize!

Here’s how it works:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form placed on blogs throughout the tour. This promotion will run from March 18 – Mar 22. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email, and announced on March 25, 2013. Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour. Good luck everyone!

Please Welcome F.M. (Marilyn) Meredith to Acme Authors Link F.M., also known as Marilyn Meredith, is the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. She first became interested in writing about law enforcement when she lived in a neighborhood filled with police officers and their families. The interest was fanned when her daughter married a police officer and the tradition has continued with a grandson and grandson-in-law who are deputies. She’s also serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association, and has many friends in different law enforcement fields. For twenty plus years, she and her husband lived in a small beach community located in Southern California much like the fictional Rocky Bluff. She is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Epic, and Mystery Writers of America.Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/

Sometimes it’s a good idea to look back over your accomplishments and disappointments in order to see how far you’ve come.

My first book (an historical family saga) received nearly thirty rejections before finding a publisher. (This was back in the days of typewriters, carbon paper, submitting full manuscripts in a box with another pre-addressed and stamped box inside.) I knew nothing at all about promotion and expected the publisher to do it all. One thing I do know, the distribution was good because people spotted it in markets and drugstores. The editor who bought it left the publisher—a big setback.

The second book (also an historical family saga) was accepted by a publisher that turned out to be a crook—and guess what, I self-published with another company that also turned out to be dishonest. I bought a lot of the books and managed to sell them myself, but never received a single royalty.

I changed genres and wrote my first mystery, The Astral Gift. This poor book found a home first with another crooked publisher (back then, there were lots of them preying on writers), 50 books were printed and the publisher disappeared. The Astral Gift had two more publishers after that.

Somewhere in this time period, I found another publisher who wanted me to make my submission camera-ready, long before print-on-demand companies, I struggled but managed to complete the project only to learn the publisher died.

When I wrote my first Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, it was accepted by an e-publisher before anyone had a clue what this meant, nor were there any e-book readers. This was an unsuccessful venture. I’ve already written about what happened next, the series went through two more publishers until finally begin published by Oak Tree Press.

My other series about Deputy Tempe Crabtree has had a similar rough path to publication and staying published. An agent told me she wouldn’t represent me unless I changed Tempe’s name. She thought it too unusual. I found another agent who loved the name but accomplished nothing in four years. I struck out on my own and sold the book to a small independent Press, Golden Eagle. Four books were published, and then the publisher who’d become a friend, passed away unexpectedly. Hard Shell Word Factory republished the series as e-books, including a prequel. The publisher sold the company and all this series was picked up by Mundania Press both as e-books and trade paperbacks.

None of it has been easy. Would I do it again? Only if it were in this time period of computers and the Internet. Today, self-publishing is much easier with far better results. There are many legitimate small presses out there looking for good books to publish. It is easy to contact authors for a recommendation of their publishers. You can find out about all the best ways to promote through the Internet and get lots of advice and support from fellow authors.

This is the briefest of histories, there were other books and other mishaps along the way, but this is what I remember the most clearly. One thing that I mustn’t forget is I learned a lot along the way, some from other agents I had, much from writers’ conferences, writing magazines and books, but the very most from the members of the critique group that I joined over thirty years ago.

Now a bit about Marilyn's latest, Dangerous Impulses:

An attractive new-hire captivates Officer Gordon Butler, Officer Felix Zachary’s wife Wendy is befuddled by her new baby, Ryan and Barbara Strickland receive unsettling news about her pregnancy, while the bloody murder of a mother and her son and an unidentified drug that sickens teenaged partiers jolts the Rocky Bluff P.D.

The person who comments on the most blog posts on this tour may have a character named after him or her in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel or choose a book from the previous titles in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series in either paper or for Kindle.

Rocky Bluff P.D. Series: Though each book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series is written as a stand-alone, I know there are people who like to read a series in order. From the beginning to the end:

Your history resembles my own. Writing is a tough field. I discouraged my own children from getting involved for that reason. But I have to say, in spite of rejections and bad publishers, if it's in your blood, you can't not write!

Marilyn ~Welcome to Acme Authors! We're so glad you're here and had a chance to tell us about your "hard knocks" education in writing. I've had similar bumps as well. But a writer keeps writing - no matter what!Best of luck with your new novel.DL Larson

It dawned on me that next Tuesday is actually Christmas, and I'm not ready. Fortunately, the remaining gifts are gift cards, but I still need to get them. Then there's that matter of a snowstorm happening tomorrow, which will get in the way of accomplishing much outside my home.

Today, I just finished calculating my plan of attack on the monthly and yearly bills, which isn't easy for me, since I'm a word and not a numbers person. Amazing how many bills decide to happen in December!

Anyway, I'm almost ready to relax and celebrate Christmas when it happens next Tuesday.

Rascal and I went on our usual walk this morning. Believe me, it was cold when we started out. The ground was frozen, with snow and ice still clinging to bits of the grass. I knew we needed the exercise, but the effort felt more like a chore than anything else. Something to get over with, so I could get back into my nice, warm house.

Then the sun came out!

The temperature remained the same, but everything looked brighter. Not only that, I could feel the warmth of the sun shining on my face and even on my legs under my slacks. It's effect was amazing, transforming a frigid day to a pleasant one. Whereas before, I could hardly wait to get home, the sun's warmth made me want to walk further and enjoy it more.

In a way, it reminded me of authors. We work hard in isolation to get our books finished, all the while wondering what readers will think of them. When our books are done, they're thrust out to walk on their own in the cold, cruel world. Will they have enough stamina to continue on, or be forced to retreat in defense from an onslaught of criticism?

Then, magically, a reader says a kind word, or posts a nice review, and everything changes!

Such kind words are like sunshine to an author. They not only make the struggle worthwhile, but encourage us to carry on. They also give our books strength and longevity in the marketplace, making it possible for more readers to enjoy them.

Thanks to everyone who has spent the time to write a review for any of my books, or told me in person or writing that you liked it. Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated!

Boy can I relate, Morgan! It's been unusually cold but sunny on the Southern Oregon coast for the past two or three days. It was 40 degree when we left to walk our dogs in a local park at 9:00. There's a beautiful pond in the middle of the trees, with a path for walking. It was SO COLD, the ducks, coots and geese didn't go in the pond! Still I'd rather have this than rain! Happy New Year

I tell people all the time that the best gift to give a writer is a review...it's better than seeing a sale, or anything else, to get a review. Because you know someone read you--and they cared enough to SAY something about it. Love reviews! Great post!

Morgan, I am in awe of you. You went out to walk on such a cold day! I've been walking every morning and have discovered that I really like walking. I didn't go this morning, though. I did get some exercise, though, since my aunt is coming tomorrow so I've been cleaning house (including the toilets!).

Kudos to you Morgan for both the post and that you got out and walked. It is so hard to get myself going but once I do, I enjoy it a lot like what you mentioned. Reviewers also have a special place in my heart for sharing their thoughts. I really learned a lot from a negative comment on a review. It was really helpful and constructive.WendyW.S. Gager on Writing

I really got how you compared the warmth of sunshine to a kind word from a reader or peer. The difference is absolutely night and day.

You'd think we were all fully-formed and wholly confident, but this is a strange business. No matter how much you enjoy writing and how good you think your stories are, a few negative words can have you doubting everything.

I keep a file of "kind words." They really help when the mean girls come along, or some other micro-disaster.

Happy New Year, Morgan! We went hiking on New Year's Day to Starved Rock Park. The sun made it absolutely wonderful. And I agree the reviews/notes/comments from folks are what keeps me going as a writer. I need to know someone understood and/or enjoyed my hard work.DL Larson

Morgan, you could send a little of that cold over. Here, we have 40 degrees Celsius (over 100 F) with strong gusty winds. Worst bushfire day since the bad one in 2009.I did my walking after 10 pm when the temperature lowered to 24 C (75 F).:)Bob

I'm getting things done a little at a time. Lots of year end/beginning stuff to sort out. I usually throw my bills into a folder each month. At the end of the year, then I figure out which ones I really need to keep. Most get shredded or thrown away. I could do this chore more often, such as every month when a new bill arrives, but what fun is that? Or, I could go paperless, but for some odd reason I like to see the bills right in front of me, though I pay them online. I guess I'm still half in and half out of the old and new ways of doing things.

I'm employing the same approach to my editing of Blessing or Curse, the sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse. After a while, my brain freezes from too much thinking, and I have to stop and go to Facebook, or some other place to thaw it out.

Still, I'm getting there. Blessing or Curse has 5 stories in all, and I'm halfway through editing the third one. Hopefully, I can finish it today, then only 2 to go.

I'd hoped to have this book finished sooner, such as in December, but I underestimated the Christmas busy-ness. Lots of fun and un-fun stuff kept getting in the way. My target now is February publication.

Everyone will know if I make my goal, because I will spread the word far and wide!

A peek at what Blessing or Curse is about:

Consuela's husband has Parkinson's. Will the young pill help him?

Ezekial suffers from E.D. Will the pill cure his curse?

Police officer, Mike, has let himself go. His physical is coming up. Maybe the pill will help.

Dee Dee wonders if her husband is cheating. Will the pill make her more attractive?

Dogs in books are quite popular, especially to me, since I've owned one dog or another for many years. Some of you may already know about my current dog, Rascal, a pit bull, who may yet show up in one of my books.

I included a Chinese Crested dog in my romantic comedy, Her Handyman, since that strange type of breed seemed a perfect match for my quirky artist character, Zoe.

I also included a neighbor's dog in my romantic suspense, Killer Career, but not in such happy circumstances.

I almost forgot to mention, my upcoming release, Blessing or Curse, also has a police dog in it!

To give proper due to man's and woman's best friend, I started a new Facebook Group, called Dogs in Books.

If you also like to read or write about dogs in books, come on over and join us at:

I'm not much of an animal lover, but I did include a black lab puppy in "Wild Wedding Weekend". The heroine had always dreamed of a house with a white picket fence so the dog could run around in backyard. To prove his love, and that he'd listened when the heroine talked about her dreams, he brought her the puppy and showed her the invoice for the fence he'd ordered.

I have a character who loves his horse. It's his best buddy. Even my dad commented on how much it reminded him of his horse when he was a kid.We writers need to remember the impact we make in our stories.DL Larson

Children, commercials, news - It seems the first of anything get the most attention.

When I heard Two Wrongs was accepted for publication, I was over the moon with joy. I'd finally achieved a goal I'd worked hard to get.

I set out to write another book, called Girl of My Dreams, and was also thrilled when that was accepted by the publishing company. Still, the second book took a backseat in the sense it wasn't my very first.

During a conversation with my mystery author friend, Austin S. Camacho, in the book room of a Love is Murder Mystery Conference, he convinced me that self-publication was worth the effort and expense. If I paid attention to what I wrote, then hired an editor and book designer, I could get a quality book ready in less time than the traditional route. Not only that, the cost was within my means. I'm grateful to him for that advice, since the older I've gotten, the more I don't feel like waiting. I've self-published Killer Career, Forever Young:Blessing or Curse and Her Handyman since our talk.

I digress. The purpose of this post is actually to mention my second born book, Girl of My Dreams, for which I received the rights back and got a brand new cover designed by Stephen Walker in the process, is taking center stage this Friday, Feb. 8, through Sunday, Feb. 10.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS - My romantic comedy about the straitlaced assistant's madcap adventures in a reality show will be FREE for Kindle or download to PC on Feb. 8 through Feb 10. See the links below to click for your freebie. I'd love to get tons of downloads so I can offer my second born her day in the sun!

I'm happy to report that my second born book, Girl of My Dreams, went viral during the promotion last weekend, resulting in 16,465 downloads in the US, 3024 in the UK, 388 in Germany and 84 in Canada, with lesser amounts in other countries.

At one point, Girl of My Dreams reached #13 in Free Kindle Books, which is my personal best in KDP Select promotions! At 99 cents now, it's still doing well after the free promotion. Here's the link if you'd like to check it out: http://amzn.com/B0065R11QO

I hope everyone who clicked to download during the promotion will enjoy reading about the madcap adventures of the straitlaced assistant who became a reality show contestant. I'll be writing future romantic comedies later, because they're a lot of fun to do!

Next in the works is Blessing or Curse. Yes, I've been promising that for a while, but I'm almost through with my edits before it goes to the editor. I haven't paid too much attention to it, since I needed to give my already written books their due first. Blessing or Curse contains five separate romance stories about test subjects who take the Forever Young pill. This one's not a comedy, as it explores a range of emotions. Before doing another event, I plan on getting this book into shape.

As you may have guessed, authors don't have the luxury of just writing. Marketing is an important part of the business these days.

What about you? Do you spend time on special promotions? If so, what type?

This is the story about the hardworking handyman who answers a frantic call in the middle of the night to fix a toilet leak in a penthouse bathroom.

The gal who greets him is totally strange. Dressed like a Flower Child in flowing blonde hair, with an orchid stuck in it, along with her gauzy blouse and gypsy skirt, a peace sign around her neck and a mood ring on her finger, she looks like she missed the Seventies boat!

Fufu, her Chinese Crested dog, the guilty party who started the flood in the first place, is even stranger looking, and not through in the devilment department.

Read all about their adventures in the Her Handyman Freebie Promotion this Friday March 1 through Sunday, March 3!

* In "What Nice Blessings" by Morgan Mandel, tragedy strikes a young adult, testing her courage and teaching her the value of friendship.

* "The Closing of the Corner Cafe" by Morgan Mandel describes the rise and fall of a cherished eating establishment.

THE CORNER CAFE STORIES:

* "The Catfish Enchantment" by Marian Allen: Cosmo’s father deserted the family and died unforgiven, his mother is sinking into depression, he’s started cutting himself to relieve the pain, and his boss suggests…a tattoo?

* In "I Wanna Get Off Here," by Shonell Bacon, a bus driver with a dream to write must first unchain herself from a relationship and inner thoughts that keep her hopes from coming to pass.

* In "What's Next" By Karen Casey Fitzjerrell, a young woman who sees herself drifting aimlessly through life, hires a crop dusting pilot to fly her over the Gulf of Mexico in the middle of the night and is enlightened by "What's Next" in her life.

* "T

0 Comments on The Corner Cafe Offers A Tasty Collection of Short Stories for Kindle. Today find out what Morgan Mandel Is Up To at the Cafe as of 1/1/1900

By request, today we'll do a Pitch Your Book session. How it works is simple. Just leave a short pitch a/k/a elevator pitch in the comment section. The shorter the better, or readers will get bored and skip over yours!

Leave a buy link and a website or blogspot link, if you wish, but don't clutter with zillions of links, or I'll have to cut yours, since it will spoil the continuity.

I'll pitch Forever Young: Blessing or Curse.

A 55 year old widow takes a pill to be 24, then makes a shocking discovery which has her fleeing for her life.

When I was walking Rascal this morning, I noticed a bunch of ants on the sidewalk, all gathered around a piece of candy. My mind flashed back to last night. I was sitting at an outdoor concert, put down my pop can beside me on the ground, and before I knew it, the ants were swarming onto it.

If only it were that simple to attract readers!

Here are some methods, some of which I admit to be lax about, some I do faithfully.

1. Updated website - I confess to not getting around to changing mine in a while.2. Personal and/or group blogs - I belong to quite a few. That's good and bad, because I can't focus on them all at once. 3. Social networks - I pay more attention to Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, although I'm also on others.4. Egroups - I belong to quite a few, try to keep up with them, but usually don't succeed5. Updated Amazon Author Central Page - Yes, I've done that6. Using KDP Select program at Amazon - No, because my books are all over the place and it would be too hard to reign them in. I plan on trying it for my next book.7. Blog Book Tour - Yes, I've done that for each book.8. Book Launch Party - Yes, I've done that each time I have a book in print. The last one was for Forever Young: Blessing or Curse. It took a while since I made it available as an ebook first. The one for Killer Career was the opposite, since I put it in print first.

What about you? Do you use any of these methods, or can recommend others? What works best for you?

I've dabbled with all of those, but keeping up with all of them spreads my energies too thin. My most effective tools have been the combination of Amazon's KDP and Twitter, so that's where my attention goes.

I do most of these. I find that like you I tend to focus on certain groups even if I belong to several. At the beginning of the year I began deleting some of the groups I wasn't participating in much. It was too much to keep track of, and by being more focused, I feel more effective.

Morgan--you've hit all the high spots. You know, when I realized there are literally millions of readers out there, and many of them with ereaders, I realized most of my promoting is within a small circle--all those things you mentioned. How can we get to those masses out there?I become very frustrated about all it . Much of our efforts go to other authors, doesn't it?But how do we reach all those countless people in the beyond who love to read--but we can't figure out how to get there.

This is a frustrating topic because to try to do it all would be a full time job - and you might still not accomplish much. I do try to add content to my website that is not about me or my books, to make the site a worthwhile source of info. I think that has helped my site ranking. But then I end up begging people to read and comment on the blog posts that earn absolutely no money. I do wish there was a way to just set out some sugar for those ants!

I agree, it's a difficult task. The social networking takes a lot of time and effort and I wonder how many sales it really does garner. But marketing is planting seeds. It may take awhile to bear fruit.

Little Pickle's speaking suggestion is a good one too. I teach writing classes, so I do workshops occasionally for various groups.

Morgan you have great insight to this and I've tried many of them too. To me all this networking feels more like searching for the cheese in a maze than finding an audience. But we do connect with wonderful people!!DL Larson

I've sent Her Handyman off to my editor, the talented Helen Ginger.While I had a little downtime I gathered everything together about the book and put it into a 7 pocket folder.I also sorted out lots of other papers on my desk and put them into two pocket folders with huge mailing labels stuck to their tops saying what they were about.For a brief time I'm organized, but soon I'll be going at Blessing or Curse, the sequel to Forever Young.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Raging Water from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel us No Bells, the forth from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.comFollow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Marilyn borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area.

Here's What Marilyn Has to Say About Marketing:

Marketing is as Important as Writing the Book by Marilyn Meredith

Today, some publishers are asking for your marketing plan right along with your query. In fact, I know one publisher who only accepts manuscripts from authors who have strong marketing plans.

So what does this mean for authors? While you’re writing your book you should be thinking about how you plan to market it. As an author who writes for a small press, I do some things differently than an author who is with a New York publisher.

Over the years what works to market your book has changed dramatically. Though there are still writers who are going on book tours, I don’t plan to many regular bookstore stops. I do have a couple of bookstores where I’ll give a talk usually to writers’ groups who meet in the store. So my plan will include scheduling a visit to those stores.

What I’ve found works better, at least for me, when selling books face-to-face, are craft fairs and book festivals. I always keep on the look-out for those and have a couple of regulars I always attend. This fall I’m trying a new festival that’s in the Northern part of the state. At Christmas time, the art gallery in the next town has a craft fair and I’ve been invited to sell my books there.

Libraries can be good venues too. Giving a talk about any aspect of writing is always welcome. Some libraries even sponsor author events.

With every book I plan a book launch in local places. This year, because my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Raging Water, is set in the mountain community of Bear Creek which has a strong resemblance to the town I live in, the launch will be held in the Springville Inn. Of course there is a Bear Creek Inn in the book. I plan to serve a cake decorated like the book cover.

One very special aspect of this launch is the fact that someone I based an important character on will be the guest of honor.

Then there’s the online promoting, something that takes a lot of time but is very important. I like to do blog tours for all of my books—and that’s what I’m doing now. I’m always happy when the blog host asks for a particular type of post. Planning your own blog tour is time consuming from finding the blogs that are willing to host you, coming up with a contest that might keep readers moving from blog to blog, and writing something interesting and unique for each blog.

Once the tour begins, it’s up to you—or me, in this case—to let people know where you’re going to be each day and ask them to visit and leave a comment. You can do this on all the listserves you are a member of, and of course on all the social sites you’re a part of like Facebook, etc.

If you have other marketing ideas, do leave them in a comment. And remember, the person who comments on the most blogs during this tour will have a character named for him or her.

About Marilyn's Latest, Raging Water: Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s investigation of the murder of two close friends is complicated when relentless rain turns Bear Creek into a raging river. Homes are inundated and a mud slide blocks the only road out of Bear Creek stranding many—including the murderer.

Contest: The person who leaves comments on the most blogs will have his/her name used for a character in my next book—can choose if you want it in a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery or a Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

Important SideNote From Marilyn - I know there are some people who like to read a series in order, but let me reassure you that every book is complete. Though the characters grow through each book, the crime is always solved. Here is the order of the books for anyone who wants to know: Deadly Trail, Deadly Omen, Unequally Yoked, Wing Beat, Intervention, Calling the Dead, Judgment Fire, Kindred Spirits, Dispel the Mist, Invisible Path, Bears With Us, Raging Water.

Contest: The person who leaves comments on the most blogs will have his/her name used for a character in Marilyn's next book—can choose if you want it in a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery or a Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

Marketing is such a tricky thing to track. I wish there was a foolproof way to see which method works the best and to correlate exact sales with each. With some methods, like live book signings, this can be done. But especially with internet promotion, it's more difficult to assess.

Would you say your books are cozy mysteries or are they more on the graphic side?

I don't post about politics here on this blog, but with all this political stuff going on, I thought up a new story which involves politics. The story won't support a particular party, but some of the details I'm including may cause some of you to chuckle.

So far, the working title is Double History Maker, but we'll see. Another idea might flash into my brain later on. I'm not sure if it will be part of the sequel, Blessing or Curse, in the Always Young trilogy or if it will stand on its own. That depends how many words it takes for me to tell this story. I won't know until it's done. You'll hear details here or at a designated area when it's almost ready. For now, I'm signing off to work on Double History Maker.

***Mark Oct 12 and 13 on your calendars, and next week I'll let you know why!

Since I'm in the last legs of finishing up Blessing or Curse before sending it off to my editor, Helen Ginger, I thought I'd share something about it, and a small excerpt, which may change in the editing process, maybe not.

What Blessing or Curse is:

Blessing or Curse is the sequel to the science fiction thriller, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse. This book can be read as a standalone or part of the projected three-book series.

In the first book, the emphasis is on a 55-year old widow, who takes the young pill turning her back to 24. All should have been wonderful, but then she makes a discovery which has her fleeing both from the villains and the law.

Blessing or Curse, the new book, is chiefly a romance, with a smattering of science fiction, since no one yet has invented a Forever Young pill. It's broken into five separate stories depicting how the pill impacts the lives of five test market subjects, and whether or not their choice was the right one. These participants come from differing ethnicities, ages and classes, yet all have a reason to be young. The loved ones of these characters are also at some point in the stories impacted by the test subject's age reversion.

Here's the lineup of stories:

Desperation forces Consuela to order the Forever Young pill to cure her husband, Diego, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease; but will the cure become a curse?

Ezekiel, an African-American male with E.D. difficulties, sends in for the young pill to prevent his lady love, Luana, from discovering he can’t get it up. Will the pill draw her closer or drive her away?

Strawberry blonde model, Sherri’s popularity is fading with her looks. The pill can bring her fame and fortune, but what about love?

Overweight Chicago Police Officer Walinski must pass a new physical or lose his job, along with his canine partner. Will the young pill provide security, when danger lurks in the line of duty?

Downtrodden going-on-sixty housewife, Dee Dee Marshall, suspects her husband of infidelity, and will do anything to keep him, even take an experimental pill. What she really needs is self-confidence.

A Sneak Peak at the Consuela and Diego's Story:

First Trial Run -Albuquerque, New Mexico

Consuela & Diego Morales

Ah, the wonderful love they’d shared. Why must it end this way?

“Diego, eat,” Consuela Morales said, holding out a spoonful of puree to her shrunken, wheelchair-bound husband. His dry parched lips remained obstinately shut, his gray eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to die and she didn’t blame him. God help her, sometimes she wanted him dead too. Till death do us part seemed a long time to live with half a man.

Placing the spoon into the jar with a klunk, Consuela gazed morosely at her husband. Mamacita, God rest her soul, had warned her not to marry a man twenty years older, but the ripe, chestnut-haired Consuela had paid no heed, choosing passion over common sense. Diego of the raised eyebrows, straight black hair and cocky mannerisms had fevered her blood, making her come alive as no other man could.

She remembered the exact moment he’d strode into the basement of her friend, Isabella’s brownstone. As their eyes met, her heart raced beneath the confines of her ample breasts, almost drowning out the background sounds of New Year’s Eve TV reveling.

Quickly averting her eyes, she whispered to her friend, Isabel, “Who is that studly guy?”

Isabel glanced at the new addition and frowned in concentration. “Oh, that must Diego, Alessandro’s cousin. He broke up with his girl and asked if he could come with tonight. He’s hot, if you go for father figures.”

“My father never looked that good his entire life. That man steams. I need to cool off some.”

Hope you enjoyed the Sneak Peak. If all goes well, this book will be available on Kindle in December, fingers crossed!

About the Author:

J. W. Nicklaus

J.W. Nicklaus attests to living somewhere between the city closest to the Sun and upon the precipice of Hell—but the winters are mild in Arizona. An avid reader and peerless amateur philosopher, he is “DNA and energy. I am cellular and soulful. I am shadow and light. I am carbon and water . . . and I am stardust. As are we all.” His singular ambition is simple: to leave the world a slightly better place than when he came into it.

A small boy sits in a living room, awash in the low-tech fidelity of late 1960′s television. The CBS Special Presentation intro plays as his five-year-old eyes soak up what will become in his world, and many others, one of many Christmas season classics. Warm pajamas and blinking lights upon the tree don’t prevent the night from ending, but rather allow all the senses to coalesce into the makings of a wistful childhood memory.There is no one particular Christmas memory I cling to. Frankly, I’m not a huge holiday person—I don’t even decorate, for any of the holidays. Not one. But I do retain the many essences of seasons past. See, I don’t live in a place where a child can recollect Currier and Ives type holidays. Snow doesn’t fall Three Feet From Hell. No need for horse-drawn sleds or warm woolen mittens, scarves, or snow boots. The weather can turn cold, yes, but not like northern and eastern winters do.

The Light, The Dark & Ember Between (if you like this story, click on cover to purchase for gift giving!)

My brother and I grew up being told the same legend of how Santa gets into the house and puts presents under the tree; as we all know, he comes down the chimney. Well, we didn’t have one, but we did have a faux, cardboard hearth. It was set up each year, close to the silver tree (yes, I said silver). I’m not sure what it was made of, but I remember it was shiny, and I recall at some point being able to help assemble it. We always got to help decorate it, although I’d bet that like most children we’d place a few ornaments on the tree then lose interest.There was a cotton-poly thing we’d place under the tree to represent snow. When you live in a desert the holidays become more about symbols than actualities where matters of nature are concerned. And sitting underneath the tree was a small lamp with a multi-colored screen which slowly rotated in front of the light, casting shades of red, green, yellow, and diffused light upon the tree.These trappings, albeit egregiously man-made, were the essence of what Christmas portended. With all the decorations, lights blinking (those big-fat ones—remember those?), tinsel gently moving and shimmering with the air current, and the television event for the evening—Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, or maybe Santa Clause is Coming to Town—about to stun us with it’s state-of-the-art stop motion animation . . . how could a child not remember such things?I submit to you that the simple reason why we retain not just these memories but their nuances is . . . magic. Especially as children, we’re fascinated by the illusion and sleight-of-hand which life and holidays bring us. There is no shortage of magic in the innocence of youth. We take these moments and build upon them, hopeful that someday far in the future we can instill higher definition memories and warm thoughts which our children will call to mind every so often.As children we latch onto the mystery of it all; as adults, we needthe magic.

About J. W.'s Book:

Once a small town success and happy family man, Hagren Roose finds his slide backwards at once abrupt and wrenching. His small-town mentality sets him on a journey of his own making, of which he has no control--and only he can atone for.

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